Monday, September 1, 2014

We woke up to dark skies. Not good news when we are setting off but this was what we came for - to cycle in the rain. This as we found out later, was easier said than done. After such a beautiful and indulgent rest day, we were eager and ready for a long spin. Our target was Khura Buri - some 70km away.

Leaving Aspara Resort, we were in top spirits. Of course, some like Ying Chang were more prepared than others with his ultra long range 5 litre water tank, and that got us cracking!

Just 3km out of the hotel as we cruising along the quiet country road out of our hotel, I carelessly ran over some metal object and heard a loud whoosh. My rear Schwalbe Supreme, even with built in puncture guard, got cut and was flat in no time. It is in times like this that necessitates lugging a spare tire. However, the ever skilful KC managed to salvage the situation by some precision taping of the inside tire. I was surprised that just with a simple tape, all was well again and we were on our way.

It was also amazing to be on the receiving end of kindness and help from everyone in the team. There is scriptural truth that two is certainly better than one, and 7 even more so!

Pic KC

Our next stop was the Ban Nam Khem Tsunami Memorial Center some 14km away, and just at the turn off we spotted a bike shop. As my newly repaired tire needed some serious air, we stopped only to be warmly greeted by the owner, a spritely 80 year old gentleman. He used his own home made air hose and got my tire rock hard. Never in my life had such a distinguished and elderly man done this for me, and I felt today to be a very special day.

Pic KC

He and his family ran this shop for over 50 years and it was a real joy to just bask in their hospitality and to meet their youngest member, a chubby 4 yr old boy on a small tricycle. George got himself some snazzy bright red handlebar tape too.

The ride to the Memorial Centre was about 3 km and we passed through a Tsunami Evacuation station. It was a shame that it was not built in 2004, as some victims could have been saved. Still, it is good that it is there now.

It was really sad to know people happily frolicking on the beach one moment, and perishing with very little warning, the next moment. Reading through the little pictorial memorials, it made me reflect on the fragility of life.

I said a prayer for the victims with a heavy heart. Indeed we do not know when our time is up, but that is not as important as knowing what we should do with our life while we have it. As we left the memorial, I felt grateful to my maker for this golden opportunity to do this STR Adventure, and with such wonderful folks.

As we did not have breakfast, we were famished. Entering the hamlet of Takua Pa, I spotted an eatery with these words, "Clean Food Good Taste!" Definitely can't go wrong with that so all 7 of us parked our iron steeds outside the restaurant for a good feed.

The CFGT restaurant was run by a couple of elderly sisters who were thrilled to learn we came all the way from Spore & Australia. They fussed around us like we were some important guests and recommended their signature dishes. We just went along and were not the least disappointed with the great food. Fruits were complimentary too! Soon, their photo albums started coming out and they proudly showed me the various countries they have visited. Such is the friendliness of the Thais and it is these experiences that make every trip to the Land of Smiles so amazing. We left them a big tip which they did not expect and felt embarrass to receive but I said, "This is our small contribution to your travel fund."

It was hard to proceed with a full stomach but we had to push on. It was a good run until the afternoon rains came in buckets and made the road rather slippery. Both Wendy and Ying Chang had a little spill but thank God they came out relatively unscathed. We continued on whenever we could and when it came down again, we took shelter in a school. Little did we know that it was a kindergarden and filled with excited, curious young children. This added to the fun, and it was great just seeing the joy and hearing the laughter of happy hearts on a wet and dreary afternoon.

With the rains continuing, we decided to head for the exclusive Khura Buri Greenview Resort which was just at the 70km mark. The town was another 10km but there comes a time when even the toughest have to fight the battle another day. Soaking and dripping wet, we made our way to Greenview's excellent cafe for hot drinks. Felt rather embarrass at our sorry state but the staff did not seem to mind one bit, even offering us umbrellas.

Pic KC

While the gang were sipping their lattes, I made enquiries hoping that the low season rates of this rather upmarket resort would be reasonable. I was surprised that they were willing to give us their chalets for only 800B and we were only too grateful to check in. Turned out there is a reason for it being called "Green" as nature abounds everywhere.

Pic KC

The chalets, though a fair hike from the front office, were absolutely gorgeous and quaint. Japanese style Yukatas were provided and it had an open shower. So with it still raining, we literally had a shower during a shower! The decor of our chalets were nothing like I have seen, tastefully furnished with so much warmth.

We were so thrilled to stay here and finally be in dry clothes. Outside our chalet was a small waterfall that was gushing out tonnes of water. That got us a little worried if we would be flooded in with the torrential rains continuing.

Pic KC

It turned out that the resort served a very good Thai dinner and that made all of us delighted. We were like the only customers for the night and were given superb attention. Our table also had a most beautiful view of the resort's beautiful grounds down below. We could not have chosen a better place to end a hard and wet day of riding. Somehow, I knew we were well looked after despite the bad weather and I slept with a very grateful heart.